Merrill had 11 points (2 goals) in 19 games last year as a Wolverine and helped them earn a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament.

Merrill said a big reason for coming back is that when he signs a pro contract he wants to be sure he is NHL ready and not have to spend much time in the minors, and while it is never a bad thing for a great talent to want to play college hockey, this is probably a bad move by him. He's already proven he can handle college hockey very well, so there probably isn't as much to be gained by him playing another year there. Still, there's no doubt he will be getting great development and there are other benefits to playing college hockey.

With the return, Michigan will have a national championship contender and Merrill should be a lock for preseason All-American honors. He's already mastered the college game on the ice but there is no doubt it has helped him grow up quite a bit off it as well.

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